Layton Vehicle Restoration

Carvention was a huge success! Between all the crazy rides everyone brought, the amazing artwork by the Pinstripers, the fun atmosphere and people and above all else the money that was raised for the Kauri Sue Hamilton School donated by all the caring people who came by, Carvention was one amazing weekend! Because of everyone's willingness to help those in need Carvention was able to raise $18,555.00! We just want to say thank you to all those who participated and to JC Hackett for putting it all together

Carvention III is Utah's newest "Off season" indoor automotive show! On February 24th, 25th and 26th is three days of Hot-Rod and Classic Car style fun. Carvention is filled with the most beautiful “rides” and the atmosphere is set with style, artwork, and music! Not only will you get to come look at all the amazing rides the local builders and residents have, but you will get the satisfaction and joy of helping out a very outstanding charity!  Kauri Sue Hamilton School is a Special Needs school that helps and improves the lives of thousands of disabled people and their families! Come and enjoy your weekend looking at all the wonderful rides the locals have to offer and do a great thing while doing so! There isn't a better reason then charity and muscle cars to take your family and friends out on the weekend! 

  People have different opinions about which car was the very first muscle car. Some would say it was the very early 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88, while others argue that it was actually the 1964 Pontiac GTO. Still others point to the 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang, which was definitely the first Pony car, but could it be called the first muscle car? Each of these cars were trail blazers in their own way, so we thought we’d take a look at each of the 3 vehicles and give them the respect they deserve for their roles in influencing the American muscle car trend. #1 – The Pioneer: 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Does 1949 seem early to pin the term “muscle car” onto? Experts do point to the end of the 1940s as the first spark in the muscle car trend when they look at the Rocket 88. Oldsmobile was the first American automaker in the mainstream to put a high compression, dual overhead cam equipped engine into one of their cars. The engine was really consi ... read more

What are the most iconic cars from film and television? We’ve compiled a list, trying to put aside our own preferences (for muscle cars of course!) and instead focusing on the cars that we think are absolutely the most famous and most recognizable to just about anyone. DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future The most recognized and distinctive car associated with a single film is quite obvious. It definitely goes to the DeLorean DMC-12. We probably don’t even need to mention Back to the Future and most people, even those who know nothing about cars, will know the type of car. James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 The epitome of cool, as seen in Goldfinger, Thunderball, The Cannonball Run, Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale. Definitely part of James Bond lore and a true film icon. Milner’s 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe from American Graffiti The most famous hot rod, and one of the most all around cool cars from a ... read more

Part of our Most Sought After Muscle Cars Series The Buick GSX (1970) had the body of a good midsized driving vehicle, the Buick Skylark, but ramped up with a monster engine. It was available as a sedan or a convertible. The Grand Sport debuted in 1965 but it took a few years before it really caught attention. The 1967 incarnation of the vehicle was pretty robust, but it was the 7.5-liter engine in 1970 that really hit all the right marks. If you really want to catch people’s attention, try 400 horsepower! 400 horsepower depended on upgrading the heads, valves, and camshaft. Otherwise, the Stage 1 GSX hit 360. Once people knew about the 400 capability though, they were hooked!  It could hit a quarter-mile in 13.38 seconds. When it came to color, the Buick GSX was famous for its lack of selection. There were exactly two colors. Will it be the Apollo White or the Saturn Yellow? In ’71 and ’72 they did start to offer more colors, but if you real ... read more

Part of our Most Sought After Muscle Cars Series What’s the most important onscreen muscle car of all time? Arguably, it’s the Dodge Charger. Let’s look at its television and film credentials: The Dukes of Hazzard​"Bullitt" with Steve McQueenThe Fast and the Furious Because of the car’s distinctive hardtop, just about anyone will recognize it, not to mention the front grill and hidden headlights. It’s a memorable car that embodies rebellion. Dodge created the vehicle with the idea that it would have excellent street performance and be great for drag racing too. It’s got great handling with some serious suspension. The popularity of the car combined with its scarcity makes this a very sought after vehicle. When the car was first launched, there were only 37,000 produced and they sold for a base price of $3,500. Now you might pay as much as $170K. Eve ... read more

Part of our Most Sought After Muscle Cars Series The Plymouth Barracuda is a car that was produced from 1964 to 1974, but it’s really the third generation 1970-71 that’s part of our “most sought after muscle car” series. When Plymouth started in 1964 on this two-door car, it was based on the Plymouth Valiant. It was an A-body car with wraparound glass in the back, very distinctive, but it wasn’t a particularly popular car. The second-generation ran from 1967-69 and was still Valiant-based, but with a lot of redesign. There were convertible, fastback, and notchback versions. For the third-generation in 1970, things changed a lot. They ditched the Valiant-based design for an E-body&nb ... read more

Part of our Most Sought After Muscle Cars Series Sure, there are six generations of Camaros, but when it comes to the really beautiful cars, it’s the first-generation Camaros that we’re talking about.  The Camaro is a car that has come in many different variations. Some of the models would be classified as more of a pony car rather than a muscle car; affordable, compact, highly styled, sporty, and performance-oriented. And then there are the truly powerful muscle cars. These are the ones that we love here at Wasatch Customs. Chevrolet first created the Camaro to compete with the Ford Mustang, code-named Panther. Wikipedia tells a funny story about how Chevrolet approached the new vehicle in the press. On June 21, 1966, around 200 automotive journalists received a telegram from General Motors ... read more

So you’re thinking of buying a classic car? Whether it’s your first (welcome to the club) or one of many, there are certain factors to consider before making a purchase. Shopping for a classic car is not like shopping for a “used” car. No two classics are alike. Each classic is unique and special in its own way. A true classic has layers, like an onion, of history, nostalgia, and a whole lot of unique personality. And along with all of that personality there are quirks… and maybe even a bit of—dare we say—“baggage.” That doesn’t mean that the car isn’t worth the investment, but it’s important that you know what you’re getting yourself into when you make the purchase and that you negotiate on the price accordingly. There are a variety of questions that we recommend that you ask the seller about the car. Most of the time you have to go with trust, and with your gut feeling, because it’s very hard to ev ... read more

Part of our Most Sought After Muscle Cars Series Whether it’s driving, restoring, or showing off, classic cars are truly an American obsession. In our case, the passion is for muscle cars, and this week we’re taking a look at the 1971 Superbird 440 from Plymouth. Now those are some lines! Sleek, with a powerful engine, this is a car with some attitude. More than any other Plymouth, the hardtop hits most car enthusiasts’ best-of lists. This car was Plymouth’s answer for NASCAR. It was originally based on the Road Runner, which was featured in our last edition of this blog series, but the Superbird was redesigned to meet the NASCAR requirements. Vehicles that wanted to participate in the race had to be available to the general public and sold through a dealership. In 1970, they had to build 1,920 Superbirds in order to meet th ... read more